NEW BEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - A New Bedford man who took part in the vicious beating of another man has been sentenced to serve up to six years in state prison, officials said.
A six person Fall River Superior Court jury convicted Kevin Aquino, 28, on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, resulting in serious injuries, last month, Bristol District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced Monday.
After his conviction, Judge Renee Dupuis sentenced Aquino to serve four to six years in state prison.
Aquino drove a 2007 Nissan Altima to the intersection of Phillips and Acushnet avenues in New Bedford to confront the victim on June 2, 2019 around 12:40 a.m., according to the DA’s office.
Surveillance video reportedly showed his backseat passengers get out of the car and attack the victim before Aquino and a front-seat passenger exited the vehicle.
Aquino allegedly put the victim’s baseball cap over his face as he laid on his back, apparently unconscious.
The victim was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital before being transferred to Rhode Island Hospital due to the severity of his injuries, the DA’s office said.
He went into cardiac arrest after being intubated and had no pulse for four minutes, the DA’s office added.
He suffered multiple complex facial fractures, a broken ankle and is said to be at risk for blindness in the future.
Aquino’s trial lasted three days and his conviction may be the first of its kind in modern Massachusetts history.
The conviction may be the first of its kind in modern Massachusetts history. Superior Court juries have long been comprised of 12 members, but due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, the trial court system recently began allowing for a limited number of six-person jury trials in the Superior Court.
The defendant must first consent to the reduced number of jurors, which the DA’s office says in this case did occur.
The other co-defendants’ cases are still pending.
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